The fastest crossing of Ireland on foot (female) was 4 days 1 hr 39 min and 55 sec by Sharon Gayter (UK) running from Mizen Head to Malin Head, Ireland, between 25-29 March 2012. Sharon began her attempt at 7:00 am on 25 March 2012 and completed it at 8:39:55 am on 29 March 2012. Sharon was supported throughout her entire attempt by Alan Guy, Stephen Martin Scaife and her husband, William Gayter. The three men took turns filming, cycling behind Sharon and driving the Continue reading →

The fastest fiddle player is Frankie Gavin (Ireland) who played “The Foxhunter’s Reel” at 150 bpm. The live performance took place at the Aula Maxima at the National University of Ireland (Galway), in Co. Galway, Ireland, on 20 September 2010. A fiddle is the same instrument as a violin, but the styles in which they are played varies greatly. The violin is played slowly and normally with more classical pieces, whereas the fiddle is played at a fast pace and with more upbeat music. This category was Continue reading →

The fastest marathon carrying a 20-lb pack is 3 hr 16 min 08 sec and was achieved by Gearóid Ó Briain (Ireland) at the 2013 Great Limerick Run Marathon in Limerick, Ireland, on 5 May 2013. Gearóid, a pilot in the Irish Air Corps, ran the race in memory of colleagues, Cadet David Jevens and Chief Flying Captain Derek Furniss, who tragically lost their lives during a training flight in Connemara in October 2009.

The fastest marathon completed on crutches using one leg is 6 hr 42 min and 47 sec and was achieved by Simon Baker (UK) at the 2008 Dublin City Marathon, Dublin, Ireland, on 27 October 2008. Simon was running for the Bubble Gum Club charity.

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) was the first celestial object ever to be identified as being a spiral. The discovery was made by William Parsons, Third Earl of Rosse (Ireland) in 1845. Parsons used his own telescope, The Leviathan, then the world’s largest, at Birr Castle, County Offaly, Ireland. This discovery paved the way for the realisation that these ‘spiral nebulae’ were actually distinct from our own galaxy and were whole seperate galaxies.

The world record for the youngest dog ever to win a gundog trial was aged 246 days. The black labrador puppy, Surprise of Tiple Crown, owned by Robert O’Farrell (Ireland), came first in the South of Ireland Gundog Club’s Open Field Trial Stake at Birr Castle, Offaly, Ireland on 6 December 1971. Surprise then qualified for the Irish Retriever Championship two days later, and also received a Diploma of Merit. Surprise’s date of birth was 5 April 1971.

The highest darts score in one hour by a men’s team was 35,087 achieved by the Cork Darts Organisation (Ireland) at the St. Vincent’s GAA Club in Cork, Ireland, on 20 March 2010. The team members who participated were Martin Cotter, Damian O’Driscoll, Steven Coveney, John O’Shea, Craig Sproat, Jason Kavanaugh, Kevin McDonnell, and James Corcoran (all Ireland).